


Pepperony drabbles and such

by fandoms_tea_and_feminism



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Awesome Pepper Potts, F/M, Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark Friendship, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Pepper Potts & Natasha Romanov Friendship, Protective Pepper Potts, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-09-06 23:51:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20300002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandoms_tea_and_feminism/pseuds/fandoms_tea_and_feminism
Summary: ayyy so basically this is just gonna be me writing little pepperony one-shots. i guess i’ll update when i update, and add tags accordingly.





	1. Sleepy

Pepper was exhausted. Plain and simple. Running the largest company in the world took a lot out of her, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep for twenty hours. But she still had to deal with whatever Tony was doing, and wrangle him into bed before she could start to truly relax. 

She closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall of the elevator, heading up to the lab first to get Tony. But when the doors opened, the lab was dark and everything was off. 

“Tony?” she questioned, half wondering if he was just past out in the lab and JARVIS had turned everything off. 

She got no response, and she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

“Fine,” she muttered. “I’m just going to go to sleep.” 

So, she got back in the elevator and rode up to the penthouse floor, dropping her purse on the counter and getting a glass of water. 

She threw back two Advil to chase away the headache forming behind her eyes, chasing them down with the water before kicking her heels somewhere in the kitchen and heading to the bedroom. 

When Pepper walked into the bedroom, the lights were off, and she didn’t bother turning them back on, just heading to the walk-in closet and stripping of her business clothes. She slipped on one of Tony’s old AC/DC shirts and a pair of cotton shorts, taking her hair out of her ponytail and sighing as she ran her hands through her hair. 

Pepper tossed her clothes into the laundry basket, grabbed her phone, and went back out to the bedroom. And then she realized - Tony was already asleep in their bed. 

The covers were pulled up to his waist, his shirtless chest exposed to the cool air in the room. Pepper smiled softly to herself. This was her favorite side of Tony. Just him, no persona he had to put on, exposed and vulnerable. 

He didn’t show this side of himself enough. 

Pepper sat on the edge of the bed, plugging in her phone and taking off her jewelry. She felt the bed shift, and then heard a soft “Pep?” come from behind her. 

“Hey, Tony,” she said, twisting to face him. 

“Tha’s my shirt,” he mumbled, a half smile forming on his face. “Looks good on you.” 

Pepper hummed, biting her lip to keep from smiling. 

Tony was so soft and sweet when he was just being him. Not being Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, philanthropist, not being Iron Man, and not being a sarcastic piece of shit to cover up his true feelings. 

This was the man Pepper loved. Tony with his stolen little kisses, the way his eyes lit up when he looked her her, his wisecracks and stupid jokes that always made her laugh. The caring and sweet man whose heart held so much love, but had to cover it up because he thought he had to uphold his reputation. 

Pepper hadn’t truly realized just how touch starved and positive attention seeking Tony was until they had started dating. She noticed in the way he would always want to be close to her. How he stared at her with such love, but there was a fear hidden behind it that she would leave him. The dancing fingers over her skin, delicate and soft, until he eventually fell asleep. The way he leaned into her touch, eyes closing every time they hugged as if he never wanted it to end. All the little kisses, on her forehead, on her cheek, as if he was reminding himself that Pepper was there and she loved him. 

As she moved back to slip her legs under the covers, Tony had rolled onto his side, head resting on his bent arm. She turned to face him, the soft blue glow of the arc reactor illuminating his face. He was giving her that soft look again, the one that always made her heart flutter and made her feel so loved. 

Tony interlaced their fingers, thumb running softly over her knuckles. Pepper shifted onto her back, their hands resting on her stomach and Tony’s chest flush against her arm. Tony moved closer, curling into her more and resting his head on her shoulder. 

“Love you, Miss Potts,” he whispered, and Pepper turned her head to press a soft kiss to his head. Tony hummed softly, and Pepper smiled to herself in the dark, looking up at the ceiling. 

It wasn’t long before Tony’s breaths evened out and he was asleep. Pepper rolled onto her side, shifting so that Tony’s chest was pressed against her back and his arm was over her waist, their hands still loosely intertwined. 

And not five minutes later, curled up with the man she loved, Pepper fell asleep, a soft smile on her face and heart content.


	2. Sick

Tony’s day started off awful. 

He woke up with a pounding headache and no Pepper. She was gone on a business trip, so there was no one to remind him to go to bed. He ended up falling asleep at around three, exhaustion finally making him just slump  
forward at his worktable. 

Tony rubbed his eyes, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes. 

He was sick, he decided. 

He was sick and his only source of comfort was gone. The rest of the Avengers were there, yeah, but he really didn’t want to be around them while he wasn’t feeling good.

So he stumbled out of his lab and into the elevator, leaning heavily against the wall as he rode up to the penthouse.

He made his way to the kitchen from pure muscle memory, his eyes almost closed with pain. 

When he did make it to the counter, he gripped the edge tightly, his eyes closed as he took in deep breaths and tried to gain control of his nausea. 

“What’s the matter with you, Stark?” 

Tony’s eyes flew open, and his legs buckled, his head narrowly missing the counter. 

“Shit!” he heard Natasha exclaim, and then felt a hand on his forehead. 

“Christ, Romanoff,” he muttered. “Almost gave me a damn heart attack.” 

Natasha didn’t respond, instead hooking an arm around him and pulling him to his feet. 

“You’re burning up,” she said softly. “Where’s Pepper?”

Tony laughed dryly. “She’s on a business trip. Good luck getting her back here. Just give me some ibuprofen and I’ll be good.” 

“This is not an ibuprofen situation,” Natasha said sternly. “You neglect yourself enough as it is.” 

She let him slump onto the couch, and Tony closed his eyes, shivering despite his burning face. 

“Nat,” he said, eyes still closed. “I’m fine, really. Just let me be and I’ll sleep it off.” 

He heard her scoff from the kitchen. “You fell over when I startled you. You’re in no shape to do anything.” 

She came back over and placed a cool towel over his forehead. 

“Plus,” she added softly, “we are a team, and you do support us more than you seem to think.” 

Tony waved a hand lazily. “It’s just money. I have way too much of it, anyway. At least it’s going to semi-good use.” 

“Right,” Natasha said, and Tony opened his eyes slightly to see her standing up. “I left you with water, medicine, and a trash bin. I’m going to call Pepper, because I’ve noticed how much you miss her.”

Tony opened his mouth to protest, but Natasha held up a finger. 

“You look like a lovesick puppy around her. It’s kind of sickening, honestly. You two are so… soft.”

“Aw, you jealous?” Tony teased, moving to sit up, and then instantly regretting it. 

“Not at all,” Natasha said dryly. “Try not to die, alright?”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he called after her, his head falling back onto the pillow. He closed his eyes, and then he was asleep. 

***

“Hey, Natasha,” Pepper greeted. “What’s going on?”

“Your boyfriend is sick,” Natasha said flatly.

“Like hungover sick?”

“Nope,” she said, falling backwards onto her bed. “Like fever sick. Looked kinda like death, if I’m being honest.” 

Natasha heard papers shuffling in the background, and then a sigh. 

“He also misses you,” she added softly. “He’s been increasingly quiet every time you leave. Drinks apple juice a lot as a replacement for alcohol.”

There was a pause. 

“Yeah. I miss him too.” Pepper sighed again. “I’ll be there in six hours.” 

“Sounds good. Let’s hope he doesn’t puke his guts out before then.” 

***

Tony woke up five and a half hours later and promptly threw up whatever he had eaten the day before into the trash bin. He laid there, leaning over the bin, for a solid ten minutes before managing to drag himself into the bathroom and leaning over the toilet to dry heave. 

He rested his forehead against the cool porcelain of the toilet bowl, eyes closed and breaths unsteady. His headache had turned into a migraine, and his stomach was churning. He felt absolutely miserable, and he missed Pepper so much. 

Just as he was leaning over the toilet bowl to heave out the nothingness in his stomach, there was a soft knock on the door. He was gripping the toilet bowl, head bent over, dry heaving, when there was a cool hand on the back of his neck and a soft “Oh, baby,” from Pepper. 

“Pep,” he choked. “Not a good time.”

She knelt down beside him, hand rubbing soothingly on his back. 

“Natasha called me,” she said softly. 

“What a traitor,” Tony grumbled, and then coughed into the toilet bowl. 

“I missed you too,” she continued. “I’m also very proud of you for all your improvement. I know it was hard to give up all alcohol like that, but you did and I’m so proud.” 

Tony closed his eyes, listening as Pepper talked, a half-smile forming on his face. 

When he was pretty sure the vomiting had passed, he let Pepper lead him to the bed, take off his sweaty t-shirt and slip on one of his old Stark Industries hoodies, and downed the medicine and water she gave him. He was lying on his back when Pepper came back wearing a tank top and shorts, her laptop in hand. 

“I still have work to do,” she said softly, sitting up against the backboard of the bed. “But I’ll stay with you, okay?” 

Tony hummed, shifting so that his head was in Pepper’s lap, the rest of his body curled up under the covers. 

Pepper, in the end, did not do the work she was going to do. She started threading her fingers through Tony’s knotted hair, brushing it out with her hand. It was one of the things that always made him fall asleep, no matter what. And it was soothing for her to simply be with him, just the two of them, quietly sitting there. 

She felt his breathing even out, and sighed, closing her eyes. 

Sometimes she wished that they could just be normal. That she didn’t have to worry that Tony would get himself killed through the Avengers, or that she didn’t have the stress of an entire company on her. But as long as there were still dangers to the Earth, she knew Tony wouldn’t rest. She knew that it would be years until someone else took over Stark Industries. So she tried to savor the little domestic moments the two of them did get. 

Pepper fell asleep herself, eventually just shifting down enough that she could lie down, Tony’s head now resting on her stomach. 

And when she woke up, Tony was sitting upright, more color to his face, and her laptop sitting in front of him. 

“What’re you doing?” she asked sleepily. 

“I did your work,” Tony said, smiling softly at her. “I felt bad that you had more to do today because you had to take care of my sorry ass.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. 

“I love your sorry ass, so I’m kind of obliged to take care of you.”

Tony smiled, the two holding each other’s gaze for a moment before Tony leant down to kiss her. 

She swatted at his face. 

“Ugh, no. Go shower and brush your teeth. You stink.” 

“Only if you join me,” Tony said, smirking. Pepper pushed him off the bed. 

“I’m going back to sleep. Join me when you smell good again.” 

There was a grunt from the pile on the floor. 

“Love you, Tony,” Pepper called.

“I know,” she heard, and then threw a pillow down on his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao i’m posting this during school but screw it we’re just sitting in the gym


	3. Panic Attack

Tony had lied. There were three things he wanted. Yes, he wanted a cheeseburger, and yes he needed a press conference to be called. But he also just needed to be with Pepper, because when he was trapped in that damn cave, he realized he was in love with her. 

He realized this fact when he was lying in the dark, whole body aching, and wanting nothing more than for Pepper to be there, holding him. He realized it when he wished for Pepper more than anyone else, wished for her soothing words and strong presence, wished for her to hug him. 

They barely hugged. He just didn’t hug in general. He figured it had to do with his touch deprived past, but he really didn’t want to get into that. 

He had to take a shower, he thought dully as he was sitting in the back of a car with Pepper, having just made a decision that would change his whole career. 

He really didn’t want to. 

But he let Pepper lead him inside his Malibu house, let her slip the suit jacket off, let her help him out of his shoes, and let her turn on the water. 

And then she closed the door, and he was alone with the water, and alone with his thoughts and his PTSD. 

And he couldn’t breathe, because he was underwater, and he was running out of oxygen, and they were going to kill him, and-

He fell to his knees, a dull thud echoing around the bathroom. 

“Tony?” he heard, but Pepper was miles away, and he was in Afghanistan, in a cave, and he was going to die and he wasn’t going to see Pepper and tell her how he felt. 

And then there were hands on his arms, and a voice that was trying to talk, and he was trying to get away because he didn’t want to go back under the water, and there was water in his lungs, and he was dying-

“Tony!”

Pepper’s voice finally broke through his spiraling, and he gasped, realizing he hadn’t been breathing. Pepper was gripping his forearms, and he was taking in uneven breaths, trying to steady himself. 

He closed his eyes, head falling forward as he heaved, gasping for air. 

“Pep,” he choked. “I-water-can’t-help-”

“Shhhh,” she soothed, gently pulling him into a hug. 

He didn’t realize he was crying until Pepper was running her thumb under his eyes, Tony’s arms still tightly wrapped around her. 

The two of them stayed that way for almost ten minutes, Tony eventually pulling away and taking in a shaky breath. 

He couldn’t meet Pepper’s eyes. He knew she was looking at him with concern and probably pity, but he was so incredibly embarrassed and weak. He couldn’t even take a damn shower without spiraling into a panic attack. 

Because that was that was. He hadn’t had a panic attack since that cold December day when his mother was taken away from him. 

But now, he thought bitterly, now he had PTSD and panic attacks. 

“What happened?” Pepper asked softly, letting Tony sit against the cabinet. 

“I-“ he started, and then his throat started closing up. Tony tore at his shirt, the collar feeling too tight around his neck. 

Pepper grasped his hands, pulling them to her chest. 

“Hey,” she said quietly, looking him in the eyes. “Look at me, Tony. You’re okay. You’re safe, you’re here in Malibu with me. They can’t hurt you anymore.” 

Tony desperately searched her eyes, the raw emotion striking something deep in Pepper. She didn’t see this side of Tony. This was a broken man with a heart broken not by a lover, but by the world. 

There was no mercy for the Merchant of Death. 

So Pepper guided Tony up, turned off the water, and helped him to his bed. 

The two of them sat side by side on the edge, Tony fiddling with the hem of his shirt. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Pepper asked softly, glancing over at him. 

“What’s there to talk about?” he asked, his tone brusque. “I have PTSD and I’m too weak to even take a damn shower,” he spat out bitterly. 

Pepper frowned. 

“PTSD doesn’t make you weak, Tony. Everyone has their triggers, and some are just more of a hindrance to everyday life than others. And honestly, you’re one of the strongest men I know.”

“Not like you know many,” Tony said dryly, smirking at her. 

She hit him gently, but then rested her hand on his shoulder. 

“Do you wanna try again?” 

He looked up suddenly, fear in his eyes. 

“Okay,” she started softly. “How about this - I can sit just outside and talk, alright? So you know that you’re not in that cave anymore. You’re here, you’re safe, and they can’t get you.”

Tony looked up, searched Pepper’s eyes, and then stood up, taking in a breath. 

“Yeah,” he whispered. 

Pepper nodded, and then let Tony get into the bathroom, turning and leaning against the wall. 

“You good?” she called gently, and heard a shaky “Yeah,” from inside. 

So, she started talking. Just talking about what she did while he was gone, careful not to mention that fact that he was gone, then talking about how the business was doing. And then, softly, that she missed him. 

“Missed you too, Miss Potts,” Tony said quietly, opening the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao please forgive how shitty this is i’m in a hell of a bad mood bc of all the sony/disney bullshit. a n y w a y, i know none of y’all actually care, but this girl got a hundred on her advanced algebra 2 diagnostic and i’m a fucking freshman taking a junior class so can i get a hell yeah for not being a complete failure


	4. Pregnant

So Pepper was pregnant. She was pregnant and the father of her child was god knows where, possibly dead and never to return. 

She didn’t even get to tell him that she loved him. Hell, they weren’t even able to get married. 

But, as life would have it, she was standing there in the bathroom, and that damned pregnancy test confirming her suspicions. 

Pepper didn’t realize she was crying until her vision was blurred and she chucked the stick into the garbage, pushing out of the bathroom and into her bedroom.

And then Natasha was there, but Pepper didn’t know how, nor did she care. 

Because Nat was the one steady thing in the world that was moving so fast, gripping her and gently pulling her in, gently guiding her to sit down. 

Pepper clang to Natasha, arms wrapped tightly around her and forehead on her shoulder. 

And she cried until her tears ran dry, hiccuping slightly. She slumped, leaning against the bed and wrapping her arms around her stomach. 

“So I’m pregnant,” Pepper said softly. Natasha took her hand, squeezing tightly. 

“He’ll come back,” Natasha said gently, voice full of confidence. “He’s the toughest bastard I’ve ever met.” 

“But how do you know that?” she whispered, voice hoarse. “Half the population. Gone. He has a fifty percent chance of surviving that. And god knows what else he went through before that. And then there’s the whole shitshow of him and Peter and that magician disappearing into space.” She paused, taking in a shaky breath. “Nat,” Pepper whispered. “It would have to be an absolute miracle for him to come back.” 

As it would be, a miracle did come. And it came in the form of Carol Danvers. 

Pepper was forever indebted to the glowing woman who came down, sassed everyone in a way that reminded her painfully of Tony, and then found her husband. She found her husband. And yeah, maybe he was battered and bruised and had even more emotional trauma and PTSD, but he was alive. Alive and able to be a father to their child, who would grow up to be the brightest and most amazing person ever, because that was who her father was. 

And then Tony was there, and he was in her arms, and both of them were crying, but Peter wasn’t there, and Pepper felt a lurch in her stomach. 

Then, Tony collapsed, and Pepper screamed, and Nat took her into her arms yet again. 

Bruce wouldn’t let Pepper in. He was adamant, and Carol, with great reluctance, led Pepper away and made her tea. 

Natasha, with one withering look, sent everyone else out, just the three women remaining in the kitchen. 

Pepper was a mess. Her hair was knotted and tied back in a hasty bun, her eyes red rimmed from crying, and her clothes wrinkled and not the cleanest that they could be. 

Natasha sat next to Pepper, and Carol across. Pepper cradled the mug of tea in her hands, not meeting either of their eyes. 

“Pepper.” She looked up at Carol’s voice. “He’s going to be fine, you hear me? He will be okay. Can you say it?”

“He-” Pepper paused and cleared her throat. “He’ll be okay,” she whispered. There was a long pause, and Pepper took a sip of her tea. 

“I’m pregnant,” she finally said. “Nat already knows, but I figured I could tell you. You two are the only ones that know right now.” 

Carol tilted her head, silently studying Pepper. 

“Why don’t you take a shower, hmm?” she finally said, standing up. “Natasha and I will make you some food. And then, as soon as Banner gives the okay, you can go see Stark.” 

Pepper nodded, and let Natasha walk with her to the bathroom, hugging her quickly before she closed the door and left her to clean herself up. 

Once she was freshly showered and had new clothes on, Pepper felt a million times better. Now, her uterus was being a bitch (as all are) and was giving her cramps, but Bruce had said she could come in to see Tony after another hour, so she was as happy as she could be in the current situation. 

Carol and Natasha were waiting with some sandwiches when she came back to the kitchen. Rhodey was also sitting on the couch, expression neutral, but his hands were anxiously fiddling with a loose thread on his shirt. 

Though Pepper wasn’t really hungry, she ate a sandwich, downing an ibuprofen for her raging headache. 

She sat by Rhodey on the couch, taking his hand in hers. 

He glanced over at her, and then pulled her in, one arm over her shoulder. Pepper rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and taking in a deep breath. 

The two of them sat like that, silently comforting each other, for almost a half hour. 

And then Bruce came out to the room, weary and exhausted, but a small smile on his face. 

“He’s on an IV, and he’s doped up on drugs, but he’s alive and on his way to recovery.” 

Pepper closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. 

Tony was alive, and he was going to be okay. They would be okay. 

And then she was there, sitting by his side, their hands tightly interlaced as if they could be ripped away at any moment. 

“Hey, Pep,” he greeted softly. 

“Hey,” she croaked, trying to smile. 

“Oh, don’t cry,” Tony murmured, reaching with his other hand to cup her face. Pepper closed her eyes, letting the feeling of knowing he was there and alive wash over her. 

“I have something to tell you,” she whispered. 

Tony hummed, his hand dropping onto his stomach as Pepper opened her eyes again. 

“I’m pregnant.” 

An array of emotions flashed across Tony’s face, but then he seemingly settled on elation. There was a barely contained excitement behind his eyes, and a small smile formed on his face. 

“Really?” he whispered, voice hoarse. 

Pepper nodded, and Tony’s eyes went from her face to her stomach, his hand squeezing hers tightly. 

“We’re gonna to be parents,” he murmured. 

“Yeah,” Pepper said softly. “We are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao so sorry to my non-existent readers for posting late. school shit. also very upset at society rn. everything about it just sucks and makes me wanna cry. anyway, hope u enjoyed and sorry it’s so short


	5. Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo my dudes i’m so fucking tired

Parenting was exhausting. Utterly and truly exhausting.

But god, was it worth it. 

Morgan was one of the best things to happen to Tony. 

She was a ball of pure energy, bright and happy and not weighed down by the world. 

She was currently curled up on the couch, Frozen playing in the background. Tony’s legs were trapped under Morgan’s head, but he really didn’t mind. 

“You don’t have to watch that, you know,” Pepper said, coming around the corner of the room. She was dressed in yoga pants and a tank top, hair pulled back in a messy bun. 

She still looked as beautiful as ever. 

Tony shrugged. 

“It’s kinda growing on me.” 

Pepper smiled and rolled her eyes, coming over to pick up Morgan, who yawned, but stayed asleep.

Tony stood up, stretching and grimacing when his back cracked. 

He pressed a kiss to Morgan’s head, then kissed Pepper’s cheek. 

“See you in a moment,” Pepper whispered, before taking their daughter upstairs. 

Tony went into the kitchen, grabbing two wine glasses and a bottle, pouring the drink for him and Pepper.

Pepper came back down a moment later, accepting the glass from Tony and walking out to the patio with him. 

The two of them made their way down to the dock, hands interlaced. 

“The sky is pretty,” Pepper murmured. 

“Not as pretty as you,” Tony replied, lips quirking up in a half smile. 

Pepper glanced over at her husband, amusement on her face.

“That was so cheesy.”

“But it made you smile.”

Pepper shook her head, smile only widening. 

“You are such a dork.” 

Pepper was leaning against the rail of the lakeside gazebo, the setting sun hitting her hair in just the right way to make it shine. 

She glanced back at Tony, rolling her eyes at his lovesick expression. She took his glass out of his hand and set them down on the bench. 

Pepper wrapped her arms loosely around Tony’s neck, his arms snaking around her waist. 

They started gently swaying back and forth, eyes falling closed as they simply enjoyed being in the presence of the other. 

“Fri?” Tony murmured, and then soft piano music started playing. 

Pepper’s arm slid down so that her hand could interlace with Tony’s, her other hand moving to rest on his shoulder. 

And then the two of them danced in the setting sun, the blues and pinks of the sky reflecting off the water of the lake. 

It was a picture perfect moment, the two of them overwhelmed with the sensation of being loved and wanted. 

And while their life was still missing something incredibly important - Peter Parker was still gone, and the hole left behind by a child can never be filled - they were as close to perfect as their situation would allow. 

“Do you ever regret it?” Tony murmured, eyes closed. 

“Regret what?” Pepper asked, lifting her head to look at her husband. 

“All of it. Staying, even after you said you would quit so many times. Dealing with me.” Tony shrugged. “I just wonder sometimes if I really deserved everything you gave me,” he finished, staring fixedly at a point just right of Pepper’s face. 

“Hey,” she said softly. “Tony, I don’t regret any of it. At all. You were… You were the best thing to ever happen to me. Honestly. Because of you, I have a family and a beautiful daughter who’s going to grow up to be the most amazing woman in the world. I have a husband who is just such an adorable dork who never ceases to show how much he cares. I have this job, and I’ve had so many eye-opening experiences. Do I wish things had gone differently along the way? Of course I do.” Pepper paused, searching Tony’s eyes. “But, all things considered, as long as I ended up with you and our kids, I don’t think the rest of it mattered all that much.”

Tony glanced away upon hearing her mention Peter.

They tried to incorporate Peter into their lives, even though he wasn’t truly there. 

He had a room there, decked out in posters and nerdy stuff, decorated after his apartment and guest room at the Compound. Tony went in there to cry a lot after the Snap first happened. 

It was the one room Morgan actually listened to them about not going in. She loved the stories Tony told her about Spider-Man, and how he’d always be there to protect her. And how Peter Parker was one of the most amazing people Tony knew, with his big brown eyes and witty remarks, and his understanding and empathy. 

And god, Tony missed him. 

And while he would never be truly healed, he was slowly stitching up the open wound that losing Peter was. 

“Thinking about Peter?” Pepper asked softly, breaking Tony from his thoughts. 

“Yeah,” he murmured. 

She smiled gently, squeezing Tony’s hand. 

There was nothing to say. Peter was a bigger aspect of Tony’s life than he realized - it just took him not being there for that fact to come to light. 

And now, the biggest regret of Tony’s life was not telling Peter those three words that used to he taboo to Tony. 

“I loved him, Pepper. And I wish I was able to tell him.” 

“He knows,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to Tony’s forehead. “Your love is impossible to miss.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aye lads, i really don’t know if y’all actually like this or not. comments,,,,they would be nice, i’d like to know if i should even keep writing this. i think imma write some irondad content, bc that makes my heart happy. tell me what you think.   
hope you have an amazing day or night or whatever. i’m not. but hey, i got a new chapter out.


	6. Chapter 6

The last thing Pepper was expecting when she was finally able to get back to New York was a bunch of men sprawled in her living room. 

One of them - Thor, she thought- startled and almost threw his hammer at her, but then Tony was there and shooting him backwards with a beam of power. 

Pepper stood, blinking in surprise, her brain still processing what had happened. 

“Point Break, buddy, I love you, but please don’t kill my girlfriend.” 

“I did not realize she was your maiden. My sincere apologies.” 

Pepper and Tony both crinkled their noses, Pepper raising an eyebrow. 

“You have so many papers to sign, Tony,” Pepper finally said, sighing. “This is a whole clusterfuck and I don’t really want to deal with it.” 

“And you won’t,” Tony said, taking Pepper’s hand in his “I’ll deal with Iron Man stuff. You just have to worry about Stark Industries.” 

“I’ve always worried about Stark Industries,” Pepper said. 

“Yes-”

“-And of course I’ll worry about Iron Man-”

“-You don’t have to-”

“-You’re putting yourself in danger-”

“-I need to help protect people-”

“-You need to take care of yourself-”

“-I am Iron Man, and the suit and I are one-”

“-You barely manage on your own-”

“-Pep, I need this-”

“-How’re you going to take care of the world when you can’t take care of yourself?”

Tony glanced up, and saw everyone awkwardly looking away. 

He rolled his eyes and pulled Pepper into the elevator, heading up to the penthouse. 

“Did you do that so we could be alone?” Tony asked. 

“Yep,” Pepper responded dryly. 

And then Tony was being crushed by Pepper, her arms wrapping tightly around him and lips crashing into his. 

He stood in shock for a moment before his arms wrapped around Pepper’s waist, eyes fluttering closed. 

They broke apart for air, and Pepper let out a shaky breath. 

“Never do that to me again.” 

“I’ll try not to,” Tony responded. 

*

So it turned out that was a lie. 

*

Tony thought about that fact as he was trying to figure out how to land a flying city without destroying the world. 

*

He thought about it again as he laid there, gasping for breath as the image of the shield coming down to his chest replayed over and over behind his eyelids. 

*

Tony thought of the lie he told as Peter’s ashes slipped through his fingers. Peter - the young, innocent, brilliant sixteen year-old from Queens who changed Tony’s life.

*

It came to his mind again as he struggled to lay down, knowing with his whole being he wouldnt wake up after he closed his eyes. 

*

And then: the end. This was it. 

Tony wasn’t coming back from this one. 

He might’ve avoided death in the past, but this time he was stating Death in the face, and there was no escape. 

Then: Peter, calling him Tony and desperately clawing at him like a child grasping for comfort. 

Then: “You can rest now.” 

Then: 

Nothing. 

Tony was floating, and everything was calm, and he felt at peace. 

And Tony closed his eyes, and let everything slip  
away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *heelies in with starbucks*  
hoMIES YOU WOULD NOT BELIVE WHAT FUCKING HAPPENED  
I HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?????   
like, omfg, i love her so much she’s so great and sweet and ahhhhh i’m going into a gay panic just thinking about her  
but a n y w a y, i didn’t update bc we went camping and this hoe had no reception and didn’t write anything anyways, i’m lowkey panicking bc we’re starting the swim unit for pe. :’) rip me

**Author's Note:**

> well lads i hope you enjoyed that. my first piece i’ve posted on here. tell me i guess if you liked it or whatever you thought of it. thanks for reading!  
yell at me on tumblr! @marvel-and-the-gays


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